Structure of a fin field effect transistor (finfet)

ABSTRACT

A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) includes a fin extending from a substrate, where the fin includes a lower region, a mid region, and an upper region, the upper region having sidewalls that extend laterally beyond sidewalls of the mid region. The FinFET also includes a gate stack disposed over a channel region of the fin, the gate stack including a gate dielectric, a gate electrode, and a gate spacer on either side of the gate stack. A dielectric material is included that surrounds the lower region and the first interface. A fin spacer is included which is disposed on the sidewalls of the mid region, the fin spacer tapering from a top surface of the dielectric material to the second interface, where the fin spacer is a distinct layer from the gate spacers. The upper region may include epitaxial source/drain material.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/188,698, filed Mar. 1, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,626,508, issued on Apr. 11, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/741,315, filed on Jan. 13, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,937,894, issued on Mar. 2, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/222,583, filed Dec. 17, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,535,757, issued on Jan. 14, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/392,633, filed on Dec. 28, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,158,006, issued on Dec. 18, 2018, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/828,296, filed on Aug. 17, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,537,008, issued on Jan. 3, 2017, which application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/144,198, filed on Dec. 30, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,112,033, issued on Aug. 18, 2015, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to integrated circuit fabrication, and more particularly to a semiconductor device with a source/drain structure.

BACKGROUND

As the semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technology process nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance, and lower costs, challenges from both fabrication and design issues have resulted in the development of three-dimensional designs, such as a fin field effect transistor (FinFET). A typical FinFET is fabricated with a thin vertical “fin” (or fin structure) extending from a substrate formed by, for example, etching away a portion of a silicon layer of the substrate. The channel of the FinFET is formed in this vertical fin. A gate is provided over (e.g., wrapping) the fin. Having a gate on both sides of the channel allows gate control of the channel from both sides. In addition, strained materials in source/drain (S/D) portions of the FinFET utilizing selectively grown silicon germanium (SiGe) may be used to enhance carrier mobility.

However, there are challenges to implementation of such features and processes in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication. For example, dislocation formation on merged source/drain epitaxial layers causes high leakage current of the FinFET, thereby degrading the device performance. As the gate length and spacing between devices decrease, these problems are exacerbated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale and are used for illustration purposes only. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of fabricating a source/drain structure of a semiconductor device according to various aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 2A-12 are perspective and cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device comprising a source/drain structure at various stages of fabrication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the disclosure. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Referring to FIG. 1 , illustrated is a flowchart of a method 100 of fabricating a source/drain structure of a semiconductor device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The method 100 begins with step 102 in which a substrate having an isolation structure surrounding a semiconductor fin is provided, wherein a top surface of the isolation structure is below a fin top surface of the semiconductor fin. The method 100 continues with step 104 in which a portion of the semiconductor fin is removed to form a concave top surface of a remaining semiconductor fin. The method 100 continues with step 106 in which a dielectric layer is formed over the remaining semiconductor fin and extending over the isolation structure.

The method 100 continues with step 108 in which a portion of the dielectric layer is removed to expose the concave top surface of the remaining semiconductor fin, whereby a remaining dielectric layer on sidewall surfaces of the remaining semiconductor fin forms a pair of tapered spacers. The method 100 continues with step 110 in which a portion of the remaining semiconductor fin is recessed to form a cavity having a convex bottom surface below the top surface. The method 100 continues with step 112 in which a strained material is epi-grown in the cavity and extending above the top surface, wherein the strained material comprises an upper portion having a rhombus shape and a lower portion having substantially vertical sidewalls. The discussion that follows illustrates embodiments of semiconductor devices that can be fabricated according to the method 100 of FIG. 1 .

FIGS. 2A-12 are perspective and cross-sectional views of a semiconductor device 200 comprising a source/drain (S/D) structure 236 (shown in FIG. 12 ) at various stages of fabrication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As employed in the present disclosure, the term semiconductor device 200 refers to a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and is hereinafter referred to as FinFET 200. The FinFET 200 refers to any fin-based, multi-gate transistor. Other transistor structures and analogous structures are within the contemplated scope of the disclosure. The FinFET 200 may be included in a microprocessor, memory cell, and/or other integrated circuit (IC).

It is noted that the method of FIG. 1 does not produce a completed FinFET 200. A completed FinFET 200 may be fabricated using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology processing. Accordingly, it is understood that additional processes may be provided before, during, and after the method 100 of FIG. 1 , and that some other processes may only be briefly described herein. Also, FIGS. 1 through 12 are simplified for a better understanding of the concepts of the present disclosure. For example, although the figures illustrate the FinFET 200, it is understood the IC may comprise a number of other devices comprising resistors, capacitors, inductors, fuses, etc.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, and step 102 in FIG. 1 , a substrate 202 on which an isolation structure 216 surrounding a semiconductor fin 212 will be formed, is provided. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 having a substrate 202 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 2A.

In one embodiment, the substrate 202 comprises a semiconductor substrate (e.g., Si, SiGe, or SiGeB). In alternative embodiments, the substrate 202 comprises a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure. The substrate 202 may comprise various doped regions depending on design requirements (e.g., p-type substrate or n-type substrate). In some embodiments, the doped regions may be doped with p-type or n-type dopants. For example, the doped regions may be doped with p-type dopants, such as boron or BF₂; n-type dopants, such as phosphorus or arsenic; and/or combinations thereof. The doped regions may be configured for an n-type FinFET, or alternatively configured for a p-type FinFET.

In one embodiment, a pad layer 204 a and a mask layer 204 b are formed on a top surface 202 t of the semiconductor substrate 202. The pad layer 204 a may be a thin film comprising silicon oxide formed, for example, using a thermal oxidation process. The pad layer 204 a may act as an adhesion layer between the semiconductor substrate 202 and mask layer 204 b. The pad layer 204 a may also act as an etch stop layer for etching the mask layer 204 b. In an embodiment, the mask layer 204 b is formed of silicon nitride, for example, using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The mask layer 204 b is used as a hard mask during subsequent photolithography processes. A photo-sensitive layer 206 is formed on the mask layer 204 b and is then patterned, forming openings 208 in the photo-sensitive layer 206.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, after formation of the openings 208 in the photo-sensitive layer 206, the structure in FIGS. 3A and 3B is produced by forming semiconductor fins 212 in the substrate 202. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 3A.

The mask layer 204 b and pad layer 204 a are etched through openings 208 to expose underlying semiconductor substrate 202. The exposed semiconductor substrate 202 is then etched to form trenches 210 with a major surface 202 s of the semiconductor substrate 202. Portions of the semiconductor substrate 202 between trenches 210 form the semiconductor fins 212 protruding from a major surface 202 s of the substrate 202. In some embodiments, the trenches 210 may be strips (viewed from in the top of the FinFET 200) parallel to each other, and closely spaced with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the trenches 210 may be continuous and surrounding the semiconductor fins 212.

In the depicted embodiment, the semiconductor fins 212 protruding from the major surface 202 s comprises two fins. The photo-sensitive layer 206 is then removed. Next, a cleaning may be performed to remove a native oxide of the semiconductor substrate 202. The cleaning may be performed using diluted hydrofluoric (DHF) acid.

Liner oxide (not shown) is then optionally formed in the trenches 210. In an embodiment, liner oxide may be a thermal oxide having a thickness ranging from about 20 Å to about 500 Å. In some embodiments, liner oxide may be formed using in-situ steam generation (ISSG) and the like. The formation of liner oxide rounds corners of the trenches 210, which reduces the electrical fields, and hence improves the performance of the resulting integrated circuit.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 4A. Trenches 210 are filled with a dielectric material 214. The dielectric material 214 may include silicon oxide, and hence is also referred to as oxide 214 in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, other dielectric materials, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), or a low-K dielectric material, may also be used. In an embodiment, the oxide 214 may be formed using a high-density-plasma (HDP) CVD process, using silane (SiH₄) and oxygen (O₂) as reacting precursors. In other embodiment, the oxide 214 may be formed using a sub-atmospheric CVD (SACVD) process or high aspect-ratio process (HARP), wherein process gases may comprise tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and ozone (O₃). In yet other embodiment, the oxide 214 may be formed using a spin-on-dielectric (SOD) process, such as hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) or methyl silsesquioxane (MSQ).

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict the resulting structure after the deposition of the dielectric material 214. A chemical mechanical polish is then performed, followed by the removal of the mask layer 204 b and pad layer 204 a. The resulting structure is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 5A. The remaining portions of the oxide 214 in the trenches 210 are hereinafter referred to as insulation layers 214 a. In one embodiment, the mask layer 204 b is formed of silicon nitride, the mask layer 204 b may be removed using a wet process using hot H₃PO₄, while pad layer 204 a may be removed using diluted HF acid, if formed of silicon oxide. In some alternative embodiments, the removal of the mask layer 204 b and pad layer 204 a may be performed after the recessing of the insulation layers 214 a, which recessing step is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, after the removal of the mask layer 204 b and pad layer 204 a (or, optionally, before such removal), the insulation layers 214 a are recessed by an etching step, resulting in recesses 218 and a remaining insulation layer (hereinafter referred to as an isolation structure 216), wherein a top surface 216 t of the isolation structure 216 is over the major surface 202 s and below a fin top surface 212 t of the semiconductor fin 212. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 6A.

In one embodiment, the etching step may be performed using a wet etching process, for example, by dipping the substrate 202 in hydrofluoric acid (HF). In another embodiment, the etching step may be performed using a dry etching process, for example, the dry etching process may be performed using CHF₃ or BF₃ as etching gases.

In the depicted embodiment, upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 extend downward from the fin top surface 212 t to the top surface 216 t. In some embodiments, a height of the upper portion 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 may be between 15 nm and about 50 nm, although it may also be greater or smaller. In the depicted embodiment, the upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 may comprise channel portions 222 a and source/drain (S/D) portions 222 b. The channel portions 222 a are used to form channel regions of the semiconductor device 200.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the semiconductor device 200 at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 7A. A gate stack 220 is formed over the channel portions 222 a of the upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 and extending to the top surface 216 t of the isolation structure 216. In some embodiments, the gate stack 220 typically comprises a gate dielectric layer 220 a and a gate electrode layer 220 b over the gate dielectric layer 220 a.

In FIGS. 7A and 7B, a gate dielectric 220 a is formed to cover the channel portions 222 a of the upper portion 222 of the semiconductor fins 212. In some embodiments, the gate dielectric layer 220 a may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, or high-k dielectrics. High-k dielectrics comprise metal oxides. Examples of metal oxides used for high-k dielectrics include oxides of Li, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, Zr, Hf, Al, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and mixtures thereof. In the present embodiment, the gate dielectric layer 220 a is a high-k dielectric layer with a thickness in the range of about 10 to 30 angstroms.

The gate dielectric layer 220 a may be formed using a suitable process such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), thermal oxidation, or UV-ozone oxidation. The gate dielectric layer 220 a may further comprise an interfacial layer (not shown) to reduce damage between the gate dielectric layer 220 a and channel portions 222 a of the upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212. The interfacial layer may comprise silicon oxide.

The gate electrode layer 220 b is then formed on the gate dielectric layer 220 a. In one embodiment, the gate electrode layer 220 b covers the upper portions 222 of more than one semiconductor fin 212, so that the resulting semiconductor device 200 comprises more than one fin. In some alternative embodiments, each of the upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 may be used to form a separate semiconductor device 200. In some embodiments, the gate electrode layer 220 b may comprise a single layer or multilayer structure. In the present embodiment, the gate electrode layer 220 b may comprise poly-silicon. Further, the gate electrode layer 220 b may be doped poly-silicon with the uniform or non-uniform doping. In some alternative embodiments, the gate electrode layer 220 b may include a metal such as Al, Cu, W, Ti, Ta, TiN, TiAl, TiAlN, TaN, NiSi, CoSi, other conductive materials with a work function compatible with the substrate material, or combinations thereof. In the present embodiment, the gate electrode layer 220 b comprises a thickness in the range of about 30 nm to about 60 nm. The gate electrode layer 220 b may be formed using a suitable process such as ALD, CVD, PVD, plating, or combinations thereof.

Still referring to FIG. 7A, the semiconductor device 200 further comprises a dielectric layer 224 formed over the substrate 202 and along the side of the gate stack 220. In some embodiments, the dielectric layer 224 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxy-nitride, or other suitable material. The dielectric layer 224 may comprise a single layer or multilayer structure. A blanket layer of the dielectric layer 224 may be formed by CVD, PVD, ALD, or other suitable technique. Then, an anisotropic etching is performed on the dielectric layer 224 to form a pair of spacers on two sides of the gate stack 220. The dielectric layer 224 comprises a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 15 nm.

The process steps up to this point have provided the substrate 202 having the gate stack 220 formed over the channel portions 222 a of the upper portions 222, whereby the S/D portions 222 b of the upper portions 222 are not covered by the gate stack 220. As such, a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A (i.e., as shown in FIG. 7C) is the same as the cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line a-a of FIG. 6A (i.e., as shown in FIG. 6B).

Conventionally, an epitaxial layer is selectively grown to cover the S/D portions 222 b of the upper portions 222. The selective growth of the epitaxial layer over each S/D portions 222 b continues until the epitaxial layer vertically extends a distance above the S/D portions 222 b and laterally extends to merge each other over the top surfaces 216 t of the insulation layer 216. In some embodiments, dislocation formation on the merged S/D epitaxial layer may cause high leakage current of the FinFET, thereby degrading the device performance.

Accordingly, the processing discussed below with reference to FIGS. 8-12 may form a pair of tapered spacers adjoining sidewalls of a S/D epitaxial layer. The pair of tapered spacers may enlarge the space between the adjacent S/D epitaxial layers to avoid dislocation formation on merged S/D epitaxial layer. As such, the S/D epitaxial layers may provide low leakage current of S/D regions of the semiconductor device, thereby enhancing the device performance.

As depicted in FIG. 8 and step 104 in FIG. 1 , for fabricating a S/D structure (such as a S/D structure 236 shown in FIG. 12 ) of the semiconductor device 200, the structure in FIG. 8 is produced by removing a portion of the semiconductor fin 212 to form a concave top surface 222 t of a remaining semiconductor fin 212 a. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment.

Using the gate stack 220 and the dielectric layer 224 as hard masks, a biased etching process is performed to recess the S/D portions 222 b of the upper portions 222 of the semiconductor fins 212 that are unprotected or exposed to form the concave top surface 222 t of the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a higher than the top surface 216 t of the isolation structure 216. In one embodiment, the etching process may be performed under a power of about 200 Watt to about 600 Watt and under a pressure of about 2 mTorr to about 20 mTorr, using HBr and O₂ as etch gases. In some embodiments, flow rate of HBr is between about 150 sccm to about 350 sccm, while flow rate of O₂ is between about 5 sccm to about 40 sccm.

Referring to FIG. 9 and step 106 in FIG. 1 , after the formation of the concave top surface 222 t of the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a, the structure in FIG. 9 is produced by forming a dielectric layer 226 over the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a and extending over the isolation structure 216. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment.

In some embodiments, the dielectric layer 226 may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxy-nitride, or other suitable material. The dielectric layer 226 may comprise a single layer or multilayer structure. A blanket layer of the dielectric layer 226 may be formed by CVD, PVD, ALD, or other suitable technique. The dielectric layer 226 comprises a thickness ranging from about 3 nm to about 8 nm.

Then, an anisotropic etching process is performed on the dielectric layer 226 to remove a portion of the dielectric layer 226 to expose the concave top surface 222 t of the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a, whereby a remaining dielectric layer on sidewall surfaces 212 s of the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a forms a pair of tapered spacers 228 (FIG. 10 and step 108 in FIG. 1 ). The pair of tapered spacers 228 may enlarge the space between the adjacent S/D epitaxial layers (shown in FIG. 12 ). In some embodiments, the pair of tapered spacers 228 has a first height H1 ranging from about 5 nm to about 10 nm.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the anisotropic etching process may be performed under a power of about 200 Watt to about 600 Watt and under a pressure of about 2 mTorr to about 20 mTorr, using CF₄ as etch gas. In some embodiments, flow rate of the CF₄ is between about 50 sccm to about 200 sccm.

As depicted in FIGS. 11 and 12 , upper portions of the remaining semiconductor fins 212 a are replaced by other semiconductor material to enhance device performance. The structure in FIG. 11 is produced by recessing a portion of the remaining semiconductor fin 212 a to form a cavity 232 having a convex bottom surface 232 t below the top surface 216 t (step 110 in FIG. 1 ). FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment.

Using the isolation structure 216 and the pair of tapered spacers 228 as hard masks, an anisotropic plasma etching process is performed to recess the remaining semiconductor fins 212 a that are unprotected or exposed to form the cavity 232 between the neighboring isolation structures 216. The remaining portions of the remaining semiconductor fins 212 a between the neighboring isolation structure 216 are hereinafter referred to as a fin structure 230, protruding from the major surface 202 s of the substrate 202. In other words, the isolation structures 216 surround the fin structure 230. Further, the cavity 232 has the convex bottom surface 232 t along a concave top surface 230 t of the fin structure 230. In some embodiments, the etching process may be performed using a chemical selected from Cl₂, HBr, NF₃, CF₄, and SF₆ as an etching gas.

Next, the structures of FIG. 12 is produced by epi-growing a strained material 234 (i.e., S/D epitaxial layer 234) in the cavity 232 and extending above the top surface 216 t, wherein the strained material 234 comprises an upper portion 234 u having a rhombus shape 234 r and a lower portion 234 l having substantially vertical sidewalls 234 w (step 112 in FIG. 1 ). As such, the pair of tapered spacers 228 adjoins a portion of the substantially vertical sidewalls 234 w above the top surface 216 t. In some embodiments, the lower portion 234 l has a bottom surface 234 t along the convex bottom surface 232 t connecting the substantially vertical sidewalls 234 w. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of semiconductor device 200 taken along the line b-b of FIG. 7A at one of the various stages of fabrication according to an embodiment.

In some embodiments, the pair of tapered spacers 228 and the strained material 234 are combined and referred to as the S/D structure 236. In some embodiments, the strained material 234 comprises SiGe, SiC, or SiP. In some embodiments, a second height H₂ of the upper portion 234 u is greater than the first height H₁ of the pair of tapered spacers 228. In some embodiments, a ratio of the second height H₂ to the first height H₁ is from 1.5 to 3.5.

In some embodiments, the strained material 234 comprises SiGe. In the depicted embodiment, the strained material 234 such as SiGe is selectively grown by an LPCVD process to fill the cavity 232. In one embodiment, the LPCVD process is performed at a temperature of about 400 to about 800° C. and under a pressure of about 1 to about 200 Torr, using SiH₂Cl₂, SiH₄, GeH₄, HCl, B₂H₆, and H₂ as reaction gases.

As such, using the pair of tapered spacers 228 to enlarge the space between the adjacent S/D epitaxial layers 234, problems associated with high leakage current due to dislocation formation on merged S/D epitaxial layer may be reduced and/or avoided. Thus, Applicant's method may achieve the desired device performance characteristics, such as low leakage current.

After the steps shown in FIG. 1 , as further illustrated with respect to the example depicted in FIGS. 2A-12 , have been performed, subsequent processes, comprising interconnect processing, are typically performed to complete the semiconductor device 200 fabrication.

In accordance with one embodiment, a method includes etching a top portion of a first semiconductor fin to produce a recessed top portion of the first semiconductor fin. The recessed top portion protrudes from an isolation structure which is adjacent to the first semiconductor fin. A dielectric layer is deposited over the first semiconductor fin and the isolation structure and etched to expose a top surface of the recessed top portion. Etching the dielectric layer produces a pair of spacers on either side of the recessed top portion. The spacers are in contact with sidewalls of the recessed top portion. The method also includes etching the first semiconductor fin to recess the top surface of the recessed top portion to produce a recessed top surface of the first semiconductor fin. The recessed top surface is recessed below a top surface of the isolation structure. A source/drain material is epitaxially grown on the recessed top surface. The source/drain material is formed between the pair of spacers and expands laterally over the pair of spacers.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method includes forming a fin structure extending from a top surface of a dielectric layer and forming a gate structure over a first portion of the fin structure. A first source/drain region on one side of the gate structure is left uncovered by the gate structure and a second source/drain region on another side of the gate structure is also left uncovered by the gate structure. The method includes etching back the first source/drain region to form a recessed first source/drain region and etching back the second source/drain region to form a recessed second source/drain region. A first spacer is formed that extends from a top of the recessed first source/drain region to the top surface of the dielectric layer, and a second spacer is formed that extends from a top of the second source/drain region to the top surface of the dielectric layer. The recessed first source/drain region is etched back to below the top surface of the dielectric layer to form a further recessed first source/drain region having a first concave upper surface, and the recessed second source/drain region is etched back to below the top surface of the dielectric layer to form a further recessed second source/drain region having a concave upper surface. The method also includes epitaxially growing a strained material atop the first concave upper surface. The strained material has a first region with substantially straight sidewalls and a second region with sidewalls that expand laterally outwards.

In accordance with another embodiment, a method includes forming a plurality of cavities in an isolation structure. Each cavity is deeper in a middle of the cavity than at the edges of the cavity, and the bottom of each cavity is made of semiconductor fin material. An epitaxy is epitaxially grown in each cavity. Each epitaxy extends through a neck of a respective pair of spacers and extends laterally over the respective pair of spacers wider than a width of the cavity. The respective pair of spacers are formed over each cavity adjacent each cavity opening and extend vertically from a top surface of the isolation structure.

In accordance with another embodiment, a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) comprises an isolation structure comprising a top surface over a substrate major surface; a cavity having a convex bottom surface below the top surface; a strained material in the cavity and extending above the top surface, wherein the strained material comprises an upper portion having a rhombus shape and a lower portion having substantially vertical sidewalls; and a pair of tapered spacers adjoining a portion of the substantially vertical sidewalls above the top surface.

In accordance with another embodiment, a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) comprises a substrate comprising a major surface; a fin structure protruding from the major surface; an isolation structure surrounding the fin structure, wherein a top surface of the isolation structure is over the major surface; a cavity having a convex bottom surface below the top surface and along a concave top surface of the fin structure; a strained material in the cavity and extending above the top surface, wherein the strained material comprises an upper portion having a rhombus shape and a lower portion having substantially vertical sidewalls; and a pair of tapered spacers adjoining a portion of the substantially vertical sidewalls above the top surface.

In accordance with another embodiments, a method of fabricating a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) comprises providing a substrate having an isolation structure surrounding a semiconductor fin, wherein a top surface of the isolation structure is below a fin top surface of the semiconductor fin; removing a portion of the semiconductor fin to form a concave top surface of a remaining semiconductor fin; forming a dielectric layer over the remaining semiconductor fin and extending over the isolation structure; removing a portion of the dielectric layer to expose the concave top surface of the remaining semiconductor fin, whereby a remaining dielectric layer on sidewall surfaces of the remaining semiconductor fin forms a pair of tapered spacers; recessing a portion of the remaining semiconductor fin to form a cavity having a convex bottom surface below the top surface; and epi-growing a strained material in the cavity and extending above the top surface, wherein the strained material comprises an upper portion having a rhombus shape and a lower portion having substantially vertical sidewalls.

One embodiment is a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) including a fin extending from a substrate, where the fin includes a lower region, a mid region over the lower region, the mid region having a first interface with the lower region, and an upper region over the mid region, the upper region having a second interface with the mid region, the upper region having sidewalls that extend laterally beyond sidewalls of the mid region. The FinFET also includes a gate stack disposed over a channel region of the fin, the gate stack including a gate dielectric, a gate electrode, and a gate spacer on either side of the gate stack. A dielectric material is included that surrounds the lower region and the first interface. A fin spacer is included which is disposed on the sidewalls of the mid region, the fin spacer tapering from a top surface of the dielectric material to the second interface, where the fin spacer is a distinct layer from the gate spacers.

Another embodiment is a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) including a lower fin portion of a fin extending from a top surface of a substrate and a middle fin portion of the fin extending from the lower fin portion, where the middle fin portion has an isolation structure defining lower sidewalls thereof and a spacer structure defining upper sidewalls thereof, and where the spacer structure extends above an uppermost surface of the isolation structure. The FinFET also includes an upper fin portion of the fin extending from the middle fin portion, the upper fin portion expanding laterally beyond the upper sidewalls of the middle fin portion. A gate spacer is included which is disposed on either side of a gate stack, the gate stack disposed over a channel region of the fin, where the gate spacer has a portion which is separate from the spacer structure.

Another embodiment is a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) including an isolation layer disposed over a substrate and a fin structure extending from a major surface of a substrate, where the fin structure is laterally surrounded by the isolation layer. An epitaxial lower fin region is included which extends from the fin structure, where a first interface of the fin structure and the epitaxial lower fin region is surrounded by the isolation layer. A fin spacer is disposed over a top surface of the isolation layer and laterally surrounds a portion of the epitaxial lower fin region. An epitaxial upper fin region extends from the epitaxial lower fin region, the epitaxial upper fin region extending laterally beyond sidewalls of the epitaxial lower fin region. A gate structure is disposed over the fin, the gate structure disposed adjacent to the epitaxial upper fin region. The gate structure includes a gate spacer where the gate spacer is distinct from the fin spacer.

In one aspect, the disclosed embodiments may provide for a fin field effect transistor (FinFET). The FinFET includes a fin extending from a major surface of a substrate. The fin includes a lower region having a concave top surface, a mid region having a convex bottom surface that mates with the concave top surface of the lower region, the mid region having sidewalls, and an upper region forming an interface with the mid region, the upper region having sidewalls that extend laterally beyond the sidewalls of the mid region. The FinFET also includes a dielectric material that surrounds the lower region and surrounds a portion of the mid region, the dielectric material having a top surface, and a spacer surrounding having sloping sidewalls extending from the interface to the top surface of the dielectric material.

In another aspect, embodiments discloses herein may provide for a method that includes forming a fin structure extending from a top surface of a dielectric layer and forming a gate structure over a first portion of the fin structure, leaving a first source/drain region on one side of the gate structure uncovered by the gate structure and a second source/drain region on another side of the gate structure uncovered by the gate structure. The method further includes etching back the first source/drain region to form a recessed first source/drain region, and etching back the second source/drain region to form a recessed second source/drain region. A firs spacer is formed extending from a top of the recessed first source/drain region to the top surface of the dielectric layer, and forming a second spacer extending from a top of the second source/drain region to the top surface of the dielectric layer. The method further includes etching back the recessed first source/drain region to below the top surface of the dielectric layer to form a further recessed first source/drain region having a first concave upper surface, and etching back the recessed second source/drain region to below the top surface of the dielectric layer to form a further recessed second source/drain region having a concave upper surface, and epitaxially growing a strained material atop the first concave upper surface. The strained material has a first region with substantially straight sidewalls and a second region with sidewalls that expand laterally outwards.

In yet another aspect, embodiments disclosed herein may provide for a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) having a fin extending from a major surface of a substrate. The fin extends along a first direction parallel to the major surface of the substrate. The fin includes, extending along the first direction, a source region, a channel region, and a drain region. The FinFET also includes a gate structure including a gate dielectric and a gate electrode that extends over the channel region. The source region includes a lower portion extending from a top surface of the substrate and having a concave top surface, a middle portion extending from the lower portion, the middle portion having an isolation structure defining lower sidewalls thereof and a spacer structure defining upper sidewalls thereof, the spacer structure extending above an uppermost surface of the isolation structure, and an upper portion extending from the middle portion, the upper potion having sidewalls that extend expand laterally beyond a lateral boundary defined by the upper sidewalls of the middle portion.

Another aspect includes a method including recessing an upper surface of an isolation material to cause an upper portion of a first structure to protrude from the isolation material. The method also includes forming a pair of spacers on opposing sides of the upper portion of the first structure. The method also includes recessing the first structure between the pair of spacers. The method also includes growing a second structure on the first structure, where the second structure is grown between the pair of spacers. In an embodiment, after forming the pair of spacers, each spacer of the pair of spacers is wider at a bottom of the spacer than at a top of the spacer. In an embodiment, forming the pair of spacers may include: depositing a dielectric material over the upper portion of the first structure; and etching the dielectric material to remove horizontal portions of the dielectric material while leaving vertical portions of the dielectric material on either side of the first structure as the pair of spacers. In an embodiment, after recessing the first structure, an upper surface of the first structure is concave. In an embodiment, after recessing the first structure, an upper surface of the first structure is below the upper surface of the isolation material. In an embodiment, the second structure is a strained semiconductor material. In an embodiment, the method may include growing the second structure to extend above the pair of spacers. In an embodiment, after the second structure expands laterally over the pair of spacers.

Another aspect is a device including a first structure protruding from an isolation material, the isolation material laterally surrounding a lower portion of the first structure. The device also includes a first spacer on a first side of the first structure and a second spacer on a second side of the first structure, the first spacer and the second spacer contacting an upper surface of the isolation material. The device also includes a second structure underlying the first structure, where second structure includes a portion thereof which is surrounded by the isolation material, where an interface between the second structure and the first structure is surrounded by the isolation material. The device also includes a third structure continuously extending above the first structure, the third structure protruding above the first spacer and the second spacer. In an embodiment, each of the first spacer and the second spacer is tapered, being narrower at a top of each than at a bottom of each. In an embodiment, the third structure expands laterally over the isolation material. In an embodiment, an upper surface of the second structure is trough-shaped at the interface between the second structure and the first structure. In an embodiment, the first spacer and the second spacer each may include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride. In an embodiment, the third structure is free from the isolation material.

Another aspect is a semiconductor device including a first portion of a first structure extending from a substrate, the first portion surrounded by an isolation material. The semiconductor device also includes a second portion of the first structure extending from the first portion, the second portion having the isolation material defining lower sidewalls thereof and a spacer structure defining upper sidewalls thereof, the spacer structure extending above an upper surface of the isolation material. The device also includes a third portion of the first structure extending from the second portion, the third portion extending above the spacer structure, where the isolation material is free from the third portion of the first structure. In an embodiment, the second portion may include a strained semiconductor material. In an embodiment, an interface between the first portion and the second portion is concaved. In an embodiment, the third portion of the first structure is merged with a corresponding portion of a second structure, the third portion of the first structure and the corresponding portion of the second structure each expanding laterally over the isolation material. In an embodiment, a width of the spacer structure expands top to bottom.

Another embodiment is a device including a first structure protruding from an isolation material, the isolation material laterally surrounding a lower portion of the first structure. The device also includes a first spacer on a first side of the first structure and a second spacer on a second side of the first structure, the first spacer and the second spacer contacting an upper surface of the isolation material. The device also includes a second structure underlying the first structure, where second structure includes a portion thereof which is surrounded by the isolation material. The device also includes a third structure continuously extending above the first structure, the third structure protruding above the first spacer and the second spacer. In an embodiment, an interface between the second structure and the first structure is surrounded by the isolation material. In an embodiment, the first spacer has two opposing ends along a fin protruding direction, a first end of the two opposing ends having a first width, a second end of the two opposing ends having a second width, where the second width is greater than the first width. In an embodiment, the third structure expands laterally over the isolation material. In an embodiment, an upper surface of the second structure is trough-shaped at an interface between the second structure and the first structure. In an embodiment, the third structure is free from the isolation material.

Another embodiment is a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) including a substrate and an isolation structure located on the substrate. The FinFET also includes a fin structure protruding from the isolation structure in a first direction, the fin structure including: a first portion surrounded by the isolation structure. The FinFET also includes a second portion located above the first portion. The FinFET also includes and a spacer located on a side of the fin structure, where a top of the spacer in the first direction is lower than a top of the second portion of the fin structure in the first direction, and where a bottom of the spacer in the first direction contacts the isolation structure. In an embodiment, a maximum width of the second portion of the fin structure is wider than the first portion. In an embodiment, the spacer includes a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion including the bottom of the spacer, where the bottom portion has a width greater than a width of the top portion. In an embodiment, the spacer has a tapered sidewall. In an embodiment, the fin structure further includes a third portion, where the third portion is located between the first portion and the second portion. In an embodiment, the second portion extends continuously from the third portion, the spacer contacting a sidewall of the third portion. In an embodiment, the second portion becomes wider than the third portion at an interface between the top of the spacer and the third portion. In an embodiment, the third portion includes a strained semiconductor material.

Another embodiment is a device including an isolation structure located on a substrate. The device also includes an element disposed within the isolation structure, the element including: a first portion extending vertically from the substrate. The device also includes a second portion extending vertically from the first portion, the second portion including lower sidewalls surrounded by the isolation structure and upper sidewalls surrounded by a spacer structure, the spacer structure extending above an upper surface of the isolation structure. The device also includes and a third portion extending above the second portion, the third portion extending above the spacer structure. In an embodiment, the element is a first element, further including a second element disposed within the substrate, a gate structure disposed between the first element and the second element, the first portion of the first element extending continuously to a corresponding first portion of the second element. In an embodiment, the second element includes a first portion configured in a same manner as the first portion of the first element, a second portion configured in a same manner as the second portion of the first element, and a third portion configured in a same manner as the third portion of the first element. The second portion and the third portion include epitaxial structures. In an embodiment, a transition between the first portion and the substrate is free from an interface. In an embodiment, a first thickness is a thickness of the third portion, where a second thickness is a distance from an upper surface of the isolation structure to an upper surface of the spacer structure, where a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is from 1.5 to 3.5.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a first structure protruding from an isolation material, the isolation material laterally surrounding a lower portion of the first structure; a first spacer on a first side of the first structure and a second spacer on a second side of the first structure, the first spacer and the second spacer contacting an upper surface of the isolation material; a second structure underlying the first structure, wherein second structure includes a portion thereof which is surrounded by the isolation material; and a third structure continuously extending above the first structure, the third structure protruding above the first spacer and the second spacer.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein an interface between the second structure and the first structure is surrounded by the isolation material.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first spacer has two opposing ends along a fin protruding direction, a first end of the two opposing ends having a first width, a second end of the two opposing ends having a second width, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the third structure expands laterally over the isolation material.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the second structure is trough-shaped at an interface between the second structure and the first structure.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the third structure is free from the isolation material.
 7. A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) comprising: a substrate; an isolation structure located on the substrate; a fin structure protruding from the isolation structure in a first direction, the fin structure comprising: a first portion surrounded by the isolation structure; a second portion located above the first portion; and a spacer located on a side of the fin structure, wherein a top of the spacer in the first direction is lower than a top of the second portion of the fin structure in the first direction, and wherein a bottom of the spacer in the first direction contacts the isolation structure.
 8. The FinFET of claim 7, wherein a maximum width of the second portion of the fin structure is wider than the first portion.
 9. The FinFET of claim 7, wherein the spacer comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion including the bottom of the spacer, wherein the bottom portion has a width greater than a width of the top portion.
 10. The FinFET of claim 9, wherein the spacer has a tapered sidewall.
 11. The FinFET of claim 7, wherein the fin structure further comprises a third portion, wherein the third portion is located between the first portion and the second portion.
 12. The FinFET of claim 11, wherein the second portion extends continuously from the third portion, the spacer contacting a sidewall of the third portion.
 13. The FinFET of claim 11, the second portion becoming wider than the third portion at an interface between the top of the spacer and the third portion.
 14. The FinFET of claim 11, wherein the third portion comprises a strained semiconductor material.
 15. A device comprising: an isolation structure located on a substrate; and an element disposed within the isolation structure, the element comprising: a first portion extending vertically from the substrate; a second portion extending vertically from the first portion, the second portion comprising lower sidewalls surrounded by the isolation structure and upper sidewalls surrounded by a spacer structure, the spacer structure extending above an upper surface of the isolation structure; and a third portion extending above the second portion, the third portion extending above the spacer structure.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the element is a first element, further comprising a second element disposed within the substrate, a gate structure disposed between the first element and the second element, the first portion of the first element extending continuously to a corresponding first portion of the second element.
 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the second element comprises a first portion configured in a same manner as the first portion of the first element, a second portion configured in a same manner as the second portion of the first element, and a third portion configured in a same manner as the third portion of the first element.
 18. The device of claim 15, wherein the second portion and the third portion comprise epitaxial structures.
 19. The device of claim 15, wherein a transition between the first portion and the substrate is free from an interface.
 20. The device of claim 15, wherein a first thickness is a thickness of the third portion, wherein a second thickness is a distance from an upper surface of the isolation structure to an upper surface of the spacer structure, wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is from 1.5 to 3.5. 